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Matchbox kits...


Andre B

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I would agree with The Seafox and Siskin.

 

Airfix have re-released some 1/32 cars, I feel Revell could do the same with the Matchbox vintage cars line. They were lovely to build. IIRC I didn't even paint them, they looked great in the coloured plastic they came in.

 

I'm very fond of the Dornier Do G, I know it's neither fish nor fowl, but with a bit of work it can be made into a lovely model.

 

Best regards

TonyT

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35 minutes ago, Jure Miljevic said:

Agreed Chris, Airfix is a generation above the old kits. I have two of them and while I parted company with two of my Matchbox Gladiators, I still keep one in my stash. Cheers

Jure

 

I have three more Revell releases of the Gladiator in my stash.

 

Chris

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Those with decals for a pre-war all-silver 73 Sqn. (I think) scheme and the other one of 112 Sqn. Gladiator, fighting Italians in Ethiopia from Sudan, summer 1940. Gone, although I will definitely build one of my kits in latter scheme. Cheers

Jure

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On 03/03/2017 at 6:47 PM, XF442 said:

Matchbox produced some really lovely kits despite their shortcomings. Their Fury was a joy to build - which Revell promptly re-released the following year. Looking at the stash (no even close to dogsbody's though) currently my main favorite for re-release is the Wellesly. I especially like the way Matchbox used to recreate the geodetic structure.

Have to agree with Chris the Wellesly would be great also the Seafox that said there are some kits still easy to find I got this last year

for just over a fiver.http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234999027-matchbox-siskin/

 

 

 

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I think the Wellesley, Siskin, Lysander and Piston Provost are a few of my favourites, but to be honest, there has hardly been a Matchbox kit that I haven't enjoyed building. I built loads as a kid, and with about 100 in the stash, I still build them whenever I want some AMS free fun. Just finished a couple of Piston Provosts and have the B-17 and Siskin lined up.

 

I honestly believe that if it were not for Matchbox, I may never have heard of the likes of the Wellesley, Siskin, Piston Provost, Heyford etc. I used to build a lot of kits with an equally enthusiastic school friend, and we often used to try and out do each other as far a esoteric subjects were concerned. Matchbox supplied a lot of those kits and I have always admired their brave subject choices...and this 12 year old (in 1981) proved that it wasn't just the older modelling anoraks buying Siskins and Heyfords! Oh! And I loved that Roy Huxley artwork! So Matchbox will always be held dearly by this now older and wider modeller (and I meant wider not wiser!)

 

One thing puzzles. I often trawl eBay for the odd Matchbox kit, and wonder why the Zero always seems to attract regular high prices...often in excess of £20. Nice little kit, but often fetching a lot more than the other aircraft in the same series.

 

Does everyone have the H&C History of Matchbox kits book? Lovely little book!

 

Best regards;
Steve

 

 

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Here are pics of my Matchbox kits... Catalogues only though.....

 

IMG_1785_zpstpo1odq1.jpg

 

IMG_1786_zpshphuaqyq.jpg

 

IMG_1787_zpswv2jekoc.jpg

 

IMG_1788_zps0zgiuols.jpg

 

IMG_1790_zpsmpydg3rx.jpg

These last two look alike  but are different. On cover is the 40p price and inside they differ in page layouts and page count. See next pics:

IMG_1791_zpsqdmtnslp.jpg

Same page numbers but different illustrations.

IMG_1792_zpsjgzat8tc.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

For me, the Matchbox is the memory of the father. Dad, in 1975 brought from Spain a model in the 72-scale Messerschmitt-109E, this is my first self-assembled model, I still keep it!

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Hello, Sergey

I built one of those. I think someone already mentioned Matchbox kit was superior to old Hasegawa, Airfix and Revell Bf 109 E kits in some aspects. While Matcbox kit lacks details and its fuselage panels bear only passing resemblance to those of the real aircraft, its outline and scale measurements are quite accurate. At the time it had been believed Bf 109 E's length was 8,64 m and consequently plenty of kits had been too short. Whether by coincidence or by design, Matchbox avoided this common mistake. Cheers

Jure

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I love the matchbox biplanes, have a number in the stash, fury, siskin, P12e.  Also the heyford, dont have one at the moment but am after one. 

Love the fact matchbox were brave enough to bring out unusual kits, nightfighter meteor, He70, skyknight etc.

going to expand my collection at cosford in a few weeks!!

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26 minutes ago, Jure Miljevic said:

Hello, Old Thumper

That is the one, and the other colour scheme given was Bf 109 E-4/trop black 8, I believe. Did you tart it up a bit? I do not remember fuselage machine guns, certainly not staggered ones. Cheers

Jure

 

30813930485_ffeb098976_k.jpg

 

I spent a bit of time tarting it up, mostly with sanding down and re-scribing the panel lines. The fuselage guns are staggered, i just picked them out with a splash of paint.

At some point I will get another kit and build the box art version.

Edited by old thumper
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  • 3 weeks later...

Revell did re release the 1/32 Porsche 935 bright orange Jagermiester scheme IIRC and the Auto Union. I believe the four 'tween the wars car tools are in China as they were often popping up on EBay with Chinese instructions. 

 

Revell have recently re-release two of their own classic 1/32 cars so it would could to see the MB ones they hold again. 

 

I'm currently working on the MB Surtees TS16 which is quite an obscure choice but they did sponsor the car in real life. 

 

Surtees-TS16-21.jpg

 

Edited by JamesP
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On 5 March 2017 at 11:45 AM, fightersweep said:

 

One thing puzzles. I often trawl eBay for the odd Matchbox kit, and wonder why the Zero always seems to attract regular high prices...often in excess of £20. Nice little kit, but often fetching a lot more than the other aircraft in the same series.

 

 

It's horrible, a hybrid of variants and nothing like a Zero. It is worse in terms of shape than the old Frog, Airfix and Revell kits and was cloned by Starfix. Those willing to pay £20 for it must be collectors interested in its rarity rather than Zero enthusiasts.  

 

Nick

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Still have a fondness for the A-20 (tempestfan look away now!) ;-)

 

It might not be as accurate as the MPM/SH but it is a far more enjoyable and easy build - and made of real plastic not cement-resisting vinyl. 

 

Nick

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16 minutes ago, Nick Millman said:

 

It's horrible, a hybrid of variants and nothing like a Zero. It is worse in terms of shape than the old Frog, Airfix and Revell kits and was cloned by Starfix. Those willing to pay £20 for it must be collectors interested in its rarity rather than Zero enthusiasts.  

 

Nick

 

To be fair, my memories of the kit go back 30 years or more. Just remember it being a breeze to put together, and had no idea of the accuracy of the kit. I can't imagine why the Zero would be any rarer than any of the other Matchbox kits, but I know I sold one on eBay over 10 years ago and got £26 for it. I was mildly surprised to say the least!

 

Best regards;
Steve

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This is my Matchbox Zero, a model I had first built in 1982 and I restored a few years ago. Over the years I had tried to add the missing gun throughs on the cowling and during the final restoration I added the intake and some other bits. The terrible lines of the original are still visible though, particularly the tapered cowling that bears no resemblance to the real thing.

Really today I can't see how a modeller may prefer this one over the very nice and cheap Airfix kit

 

P1023409.jpg

 

P1023408.jpg

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Thanks for posting those photos up Giorgio. I can see exactly what Nick is talking about now! :o

 

Not the most accurate kit ever produced by Matchbox is it? Nice restoration though!

 

Best regards;

Steve

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On 23/02/2017 at 11:21 AM, Giorgio N said:

I'd buy some others if I can find them at bargain price. And then there are some for which the seller would have to pay me to take them, like the F-16 and the A-7

 

To be fair I liked the A-7, although that is more to do with me having painted (what I thought) was a really good SEA schemed version of this in the early 80's.

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44 minutes ago, Nick Millman said:

Still have a fondness for the A-20 (tempestfan look away now!) ;-)

 

It might not be as accurate as the MPM/SH but it is a far more enjoyable and easy build - and made of real plastic not cement-resisting vinyl. 

 

Nick

 

Couldn't agree more and what is there not to like about the Green Hornet. This is one I built some years ago, I would like to build another at some point only this time with re-etched panel lines and a browner shade of o/d against the green camouflage. A French glass nosed version is also tempting.

 

33831174276_52e8db8723_k.jpg

 

 

 

21 minutes ago, Giorgio N said:

particularly the tapered cowling that bears no resemblance to the real thing.

 

 

 

 

Concerning the Zero, tapered cowlings were unfortunately a bit of common fault with Matchbox kits. I have a Matchbox Zero in my stash that I picked up from a show for about a fiver, unfortunately I later discovered that it is missing it's canopy so I will have to organise a replacement when the time comes to build it.

 

Edited by old thumper
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